GOD’S WORD FOR THE DAY (based on Catholic Liturgical Readings) DATE: 4TH APRIL 2017 TUESDAY OF THE FIFTH WEEK OF LENT FIRST READING: Numbers 21:4-9 PSALM: Psalm 102:2-3, 16-18, 19-2 GOSPEL: John 8:21-30 THEME: THE BITE OF SIN

The pain of losing a loved one who passes away is deep when one discovers that the cause of death is both preventable and curable e.g. malaria. Similarly, on the spiritual plane, it is a tragedy when a loved one dies in sin. This is because sin is both preventable and curable.

The sin of the Israelites, as recounted in our First Reading, could have been avoided if they had exercised some level of restraint and patience during their sojourn in the desert. Unfortunately, they lost self-control. With their patience worn out by the journey, they complained against God and Moses. This opened the door for fiery serpents to invade them. God, however, provided a cure for the bite of sin. He tells Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he shall live" (Num 21:8). They were healed not because of the bronze serpent in itself but because they obeyed what God had asked them to do -- faith in the Word of God.

In our Gospel text, Jesus tells the Jews, primarily the Pharisees, “you will die in your sins unless you believe that I am he" (Jn 8:24). The expression “I am” carries with it an undertone of the name of the Lord God revealed to Moses at the burning bush. Hence, in the person of Jesus, the Lord God who brought healing to the Israelites in the desert, offers healing to all those who have been bitten by sin.

A sinner is a spiritually sick person. When a physically sick person refuses to see a doctor or take any medication, he/she risks dying. Similarly, a sinner who rejects Jesus puts himself/herself in a deadly situation.

In Christ, there is a solution to sin. Are you planning to sin. Halt! It is preventable. Have you sinned? Courage! It is curable. Jesus is God’s answer to every sin. He is both the doctor and the medicine for the bite of sin.

GOD’S WORD FOR THE DAY (based on Catholic Liturgical Readings) DATE: 3RD APRIL 2017 MONDAY OF THE FIFTH WEEK OF LENT FIRST READING: Daniel 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62 PSALM: Psalm 23:1-6 GOSPEL: John 8:1-11 THEME: WOMAN, WHERE ARE THEY?

Take your best friend to the market place and then suddenly point your finger at him and shout, “thief…thief…thief”. You can be sure that in an instant, tens of people would gather and often before any interrogation, your friend would have received some few slaps. This is what is often referred to as instant justice. It is inflicting pains on an alleged criminal without fair hearing. There is always an element of injustice in instant justice because there is more to the story than what is alleged. Sometimes an alleged criminal may be completely innocent as in the case of Susanna in the First Reading.

The first few verses of the text of the First Reading describes Susanna as a married woman, beautiful, God-fearing and well trained according to the law of Moses. In sum, she was a woman of valour, elegantly dressed in character. Two men, described as elders of the people and judges decided to destroy this noble woman by alleging that she was an adulteress, whereas they (the two men), were the real adulterers. It took the intervention of God, who inspired Daniel, for the truth to be revealed.

Many innocent people have died at the hands of ruthless men and women. There are character assassins who go about throwing faeces on elegantly dressed people and then later point fingers at them to accuse them of defecating on themselves. Unfortunately, undiscerning people believe the lies they peddle and descend heavily on these poor victims.

Hasty judgements in the name of “instant justice”, either by words or actions, bring pain to others. Even if the allegation turns out to be true, let us remember how we have also deserved condemnation on many occasions and yet found forgiveness in Christ. In the end, it is safe to say that God is the only reliable judge – “There is only one lawgiver and he is the only judge and has power to save or to destroy. Who are you to give a verdict on your neighbour?” (James 4:12).

 grace. And may the heart of Jesus live in the hearts of all people” (St. Arnold Janssen)

GOD’S WORD FOR THE DAY (based on Catholic Liturgical Readings) DATE: 2ND APRIL 2017 FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT FIRST READING: Ezekiel 37:12-14 PSALM: Psalm 130: 1-8 SECOND READING: Romans 8:8-11 GOSPEL: John 11:1-45 THEME: WHEN THE LORD DELAYS

There are people who have left the Church because of a trial that came their way unexpectedly. Some too are in the Church but have given up on prayer because heaven appears to be silent in spite of their numerous requests for a divine intervention in a critical situation. However, in matters of faith what appears to be a disappointment is often an appointment to see the glory of God. In Christ, a delay is not a denial but a preparation for a testimony.

Lazarus was loved by the Lord and yet he fell sick – “Lord, he whom you love is ill” (Jn 11:3).  The fact that the Lord loves you does not mean there will be no trials in your life.

Jesus arrived in Bethany fours day after the burial of Lazarus. From a purely human perspective, one may say that Jesus delayed. In fact that was the argument of the sympathisers at the funeral – 'He opened the eyes of the blind man. Could he not have prevented this man's death?'(Jn. 11:37).  “Four days” was considered to be a decisive confirmation of a person’s death. At this moment, bodily decay was in full gear. The case of Lazarus thus appeared to be a hopeless one.

The feeling of hopelessness also characterised the people of Judah during their captivity in Babylon. Like dry bones, they felt that all was lost. The Lord sent a soothing message of consolation to them saying, “I will open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you home into the land of Israel” (Ezek. 37:12).

The faith of Martha in the face of the death of Lazarus is worth emulating when we are faced with a trial - “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. And even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you" (Jn. 11:21-22). Even in death she believed that the Lord was able to do something.

Have you prayed and there is no answer? Has your situation changed from bad to worse? Do not lose faith. Trust that ‘even now’, the Lord can still do something about it. As we declare our faith in the Lord through prayer, the Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead and who is at work in us will bring deliverance to all those who find themselves in tomb-like situations. Yes, hold on for your testimony is on the way!